4 comments:

Sara Davis
said...

Thanks Lucy. I enjoyed our conversation. One of the many things that stuck with me was your provocative question of "if we were to design large foundations from scratch today, knowing what we know and with how we work now, what would they look like?" There's a lot to ponder from there regarding how we organize our work and optimize resources, communication patterns, learning and knowledge. Lots to chew on and consider. Thanks!

I think the "future" illustration is aspirational at best, probably to be practiced most by large philanthropies who tie data collection and analysis to their own money being distributed. I've been a part of efforts in two communities where a community foundation has worked really hard to lead efforts to collect data and share information about local nonprofits. I've been disappointmed by how few other philanthropies, much less individuals, make use of the data, informatino, and analysis to improve their own giving. Paul Brest's comment about Hewlett being "ahead of the curve" in the recent evaluation of their effective philanthropy efforts is one that I agree with. I look forward to watching this conversation continue.

Maybe this falls under infrastructure, but I think the "future" concepts could specify digital literacy and self-directed learning. Since more data and more technology do not naturally yield more sense, individuals need competence and empowerment to turn data into insights with the help of people across traditional boundaries.

Why is this blog called Philanthropy 2173?

This is a blog about the future. The year 2173 seems sufficiently far enough in the future to give us some perspective. As sure as we are of ourselves now, talking about the future - and making philanthropic investments - requires that we keep a sense of modesty and humor about what we are doing. Philanthropy is for the long-term - for the year 2173.